


Chapter Two: The Hunt

by Amrywiol



Category: Community (TV)
Genre: F/M, It's a homage not a crossover, Mythbusters - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:00:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27490861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amrywiol/pseuds/Amrywiol
Summary: This a continuation of "The Set Up" by Celerylapel (https://archiveofourown.org/works/27457024) and that really needs to be read first.
Relationships: Annie Edison/Jeff Winger
Comments: 13
Kudos: 29
Collections: Community Discord Scavenger Hunt





	Chapter Two: The Hunt

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CeleryLapel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CeleryLapel/gifts).



The Study Group watched the Dean and Agnes leave in shocked silence.

“We have got to win that prize,” Jeff whispered, to murmured agreement from the rest of the group. “And we probably don’t have much time before the rest of the school finds out.” 

“Now-” he paused dramatically. “Was anybody paying attention when he read out the clues?”

One by one, their eyes all turned to Annie.

“Seriously? Nobody else?” The petite brunette said in an exasperated tone of voice. “Fine -” she flipped open her notebook dramatically.

“First - I have keys, but I don’t lock anything. I write but I don’t think. I make a moderate amount of noise and am incredibly useful.

Second - My words number many. My title is explained under my cover.

Third - I am sturdy and flat. I am where the work is done before you go have any fun.

Fourth - I sound like I grow between your nose and your chin. I am decorative, I have no gender or sex. I thrive in Holland, but I tend to stay in a certain place you will need to find.

Fifth - I have a face but I cannot smile. I have hands but I don’t have fingers. I keep my hands on my face.”

There was a moment of thoughtful silence that was broken by Shirley.

“Seriously? Can none of you see it?”

Six pairs of curious eyes swivelled to face her.

She sighed as she started counting off her fingers. “Typewriter - Dictionary - Desk - Tulip - Clock.” She looked challengingly at the sceptical expressions of the rest of the group. “What? I do puzzle magazines.” She crossed her arms defiantly as she glared at them.

The rest of the group looked at each other.

“No, that’s too easy,” Pierce said.

Jeff nodded in reluctant agreement. “If that’s all it was, this hunt would be over in five minutes.”

“None of you were anywhere near to getting any answers…” Shirley mumbled self-righteously.

“He wants us to make him a time desk,” Abed said suddenly.

“A _what_?” Jeff cried.

“Did nobody else read the first draft of his novel he sent out last week?” Now it was Abed’s turn to be the centre of attention of six befuddled sets of eyes. He condescended to explain.

“The dean has written a novel. It’s a second-rate ‘Inspector Spacetime’ self-insert fanfic with a thinly disguised expy-”

“Abed, let us know when you start speaking English,” Pierce grumbled. 

Abed ignored him. “- of the dean as the hero. He travels through space and time on a time desk, and the answers to the riddles are all components of the desk.”

“Abed, you’re a genius.” Jeff said in an almost awed tone of voice. “ _Of course_ the dean would set a problem that could only be solved by reference to his vanity project!”

“So we need to get a- what was it again?” Britta was feeling left out of the conversation so far.

“A desk, a typewriter, a clock, a dictionary and tulips.” Shirley grumbled. 

“That shouldn’t be too hard,” Jeff said. “We’ll grab a desk from the main library-”

“No.” Abed said. “It has to be old school.”

“Where the heck are we going to get one of those?”

XXXXXX

ITEM 1 - THE DESK

“Are you sure about this?” Shirley muttered as they approached the newspaper office. “It’s full of people.”

“You’re the one who was offended by the suggestion that Britta or Annie be used to distract them!” Troy hissed. “‘Why does nobody ever suggest I use my sexuality to lead men astray?’ You said!”

“Troy’s got a point Shirley,” Abed said. “It’s your time to shine.”

“Fine,” Shirley said grimly as she started striding down the corridor. She strode up to a janitor who was sweeping the floor, said something to him that caused him to flee and grabbed his broom, standing on the head of it to wrench off the handle.

“I don’t think she’s going to be using her sexuality,” Abed said.

Shirley kicked open the door to the newsroom and swung her broomstick, smashing a water bottle off a cooler in the process and flooding the room. 

“ _And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them!_ ” Her voice boomed through the room as she swung the broom handle overhead.

Panic stricken, the student journalists fled.

“Pulp Fiction?” Abed said as he entered the room.

“Ezekiel.” Shirley replied. “Are you boys going to pick up that desk or not? We don’t have all day.”

XXXXXX

“And then once you’ve got the desk, bring it down here.” Jeff continued talking. “When you get back, Troy and Abed will be the Build Team-”

“Nice Mythbusters reference Jeff.” Abed said approvingly.

“Thanks Jamie,” Jeff grinned at him. Abed pointed finger guns at him and made a pew-pew sound. “I suppose we need an old fashioned typewriter too?”

Abed nodded.

XXXXXX

ITEM 2 - THE TYPEWRITER

Britta looked nervously up and down the corridor, then strode to the door she was looking for-

PROFESSOR IAN DUNCAN

She knocked on the door and, on hearing no answer, turned the handle and stepped in. On entering, she saw the reason why the door was unlocked - Duncan was asleep, head first on his desk with an empty half-bottle of Gin in his hand.

 _This is my own fault,_ Britta thought as she picked through the piles of dusty rubbish in Duncan’s chaotic office. _If I hadn’t remembered he showed me the old typewriter he did his graduate thesis on -_

She carefully poked through the bankers’ boxes stacked high, one eye on the snoring drunk.

 _Ah there it is -_ Britta spotted the typewriter case hiding behind a stack of loosely piled scientific journals and started tugging at it. It refused to move. She pulled harder -

“AAARGH!!” She cried as the pile of journals toppled, releasing the typewriter and sending her flying backwards and crashing painfully on her ass as she landed.

“Wha - wha- wazzat?” Duncan mumbled blearily as he started to sit up. “Mizzz Perry? Is- is-”

Britta froze in panic for a moment. “No?” She said nervously. As she tried to stand up, her hand landed on one of the scattered magazines and her attention was caught by one of the headlines - _ONEIROLOGY - A Scientific Approach To The Study Of Dreams -_ and an idea came to her. “You’re dreaming Ian,” she said softly. “It’s a very nice dream.” She added encouragingly.

“Are- are you sure?” Duncan mumbled blearily. “You norm’ly wuh- wuh- wear less in my dreams…”

Britta briefly shuddered with horror at this insight into the psych professor’s mind. “It’s a new dream Ian-” She whispered in what she hoped was a seductive tone of voice. “Now close your eyes-” but Duncan had already passed out again.

Britta sighed with relief as she picked up the typewriter case, popped the lid to confirm the typewriter was still inside, and sealed it again. She was just about to start back towards the library when the tannoy crackled into life with Leonard’s voice -

“ _ATTENTION ALL STUDENTS - THE DEAN HAS ANNOUNCED A SCAVENGER HUNT FOR THE FOLLOWING PRIZE-”_

“Oh crap,” Britta sighed as she broke into a dead run.

XXXXXX

“So that leaves a dictionary, tulips and a clock.” Jeff said. “Where are we going to find a dictionary?”

Several of the others exchanged surprised glances. “We’re in a library Jeff…” Britta finally said.

“Just testing,” he said with a fixed grin. “Abed - when your team gets back with the desk, pick a suitable dictionary.”

Abed nodded, once.

“Does anybody know where we can get some tulips?” Shirley felt it had been a while since she said anything.

“They’re the dean’s favorite flower,” Annie chipped in enthusiastically. There’s usually a bunch on his secretary’s desk.”

“I’ll get those,” Pierce said with a smirk. “Agnes and I have a thing going…”

XXXXXX

ITEM 3 - TULIP

Pierce swaggered up to the Dean’s office. “Good afternoon Agnes,” he said, his most charming smirk on his face. “I have to say you’re looking even more beautiful than usual today.”

“What do you want, Hawthorne?” She was completely unimpressed.

Pierce’s smile chilled by a few degrees. “Can’t a man just pass a few moments in the company of a beautiful woman?”

“Not if he’s you he can’t - how many restraining orders are there currently out on you now?”

“Fine - what’s he doing?” Pierce was distracted by the sight of Leonard blowing into the microphone of the public address system.

“Attention all students -” Greendale’s oldest student started saying. “The dean has announced a scavenger hunt for the following prize -”

“Never mind that,” Pierce grumbled. “I need tulips.” He pointed to the bunch on Agnes’ desk.

“No.” She said bluntly.

“Fine,” Pierce fished out his wallet as Leonard kept talking in the background. “How much?”

“Fifty dollars. Each.” Agnes almost smiled at him. Almost.

“What!” Pierce expostulated. “That’s ridiculous!”

“You’re right - for you, it’s a hundred.”

Pierce fished out three banknotes with Benjamin Franklin’s face on them and slammed them down on the desk. “I’ll give you three hundred for the lot.”

Agnes thought for a moment, then shrugged. “Deal,” she said, handing the vase to him with one hand and pocketing the cash with the other.

“Thank you,” Pierce snarked as he grabbed the flowers, turned and walked away.

He was just leaving the building when he saw a crowd heading towards him.

“Out of my way!” He snarled.

“Grab him!” Vicki yelled.

XXXXXX

“That just leaves Annie and me to get the clock.” Jeff finished.

“Oh there’s a surprise.” Shirley muttered.

“I’m _sorry_?” Annie squealed.

“You two do end up on a lot of cute capers together,” Troy said to murmurs of assent from around the table.

“Just make sure you don’t end up in a confined space where you’re forced to make out to distract each other from claustrophobic panic attacks.” Britta snarked.

“You’re being ridiculous, Britta. _Everyone_ is being ridiculous!” Jeff snorted sarcastically.

“Yeah!” Annie piped up, her voice full of nervous defiance. “It’s been _ages_ since we last kissed!” She suddenly didn’t seem to be too happy about this confession.

“Thank you Annie,” Jeff said dryly. “Now if everybody knows what they’re doing-”

XXXXXX

ITEM 4 - CLOCK

“Are you sure about this, Jeff?” Annie said dubiously. They were in the gym staring at a wall clock. “I can’t believe this was the closest to the library.” She sighed.

“Believe it,” he shrugged. “We’d better get it down I suppose.”

“But it’s at least twelve feet off the ground Jeff!”

He grinned at her suddenly. “I’m six feet four and you’re five-three. That means combined we’re -”

“Eleven feet seven if I stand on your head. Not happening Jeff. We can find a ladder or-”

“ _ATTENTION ALL STUDENTS - THE DEAN HAS ANNOUNCED A SCAVENGER HUNT FOR THE FOLLOWING PRIZE-”_

The tannoy erupted into life as Leonard’s voice boomed out. “Oh crap,” Jeff sighed. “That means we’ve got to hurry.” He braced his back against the wall and meshed his fingers together in front of him. “Come on Annie-”

“Fine!” She huffed as she stepped up to him and planted one ballet-flat clad foot into his hands and reached for his shoulders with her hands. “Just hold on for safety and whatever you do, _don’t_ look up!” She jumped up with her foot on the ground and straightened the leg resting on his hands. As she shot up, Jeff grinned at the hem of her miniskirt passing his eyes. “No problem Annie,” he said. 

As she planted first one foot on a shoulder and then the other, Jeff reached up until he had a firm grip on her calves, just below her knees. “You okay?” He grunted. 

“I’m okay,” she confirmed. “This thing is just on tight that’s all.” Jeff could hear the sound of protesting metal as she tried to wrench it off the wall.

Then two things happened at once. The first was the doors at the far end of the gym slammed open and a gang of students burst through. Jeff cursed as he recognised the ring leader.

“Stop them!” Mike yelled.

The second was that the clock came off the wall with one last wrench on Annie’s part. She screamed suddenly as she started to fall backwards, Jeff cursed again as he let go of her legs and shifted sideways and forwards, catching her in his arms as she dropped past him. Seeing she’d held on to the clock, he didn’t pause to put her down instead heading off at a dead run to the doors at the opposite side of the gym Mike’s gang was entering through.

“Just hold on Annie,” he hissed as he shoulder charged his way through the swing doors, a yelling gang on his heels. Still running with her in his arms, he somehow managed to turn a corner and dive through a half open door before the pursuers followed them round. He leaned against the door to shut it as he tried to control his breathing and listened out for signs they’d been spotted.

“You can put me down now Jeff,” Annie whispered. Crazily, he had forgotten he was still carrying her, crushed tight to his chest though she was.Gently he lowered her to her feet, keeping an arm around her waist to hold her in position in case she knocked something over in the nearly pitch dark storage room. She seemed to understand what he was doing as she settled against his chest, her head tucked under his chin.

“Jeff,” Annie said, her voice trembling slightly. “Are you stroking my leg?”

“What? No!” he whispered. “My hands are here-” he patted her back.

“Then there’s something in here with us!” Her voice had already risen several octaves. “It’s climbing up my - umh!”

Jeff, terrified she’d scream and give away their location, had tipped her chin up and silenced her the only way he could think of at such short notice. _I can’t believe Britta was right!_ was his last coherent thought as Annie’s scream turned into a sigh and she melted into the kiss.

XXXXXX

Annie had no idea how long they’d been kissing in the dark, but they separated eventually. “I think they’ve gone,” she whispered.

Jeff leaned forward, his forehead pressing against hers. “Yeah,” he sighed. “Should we move?” He made no effort to do so, still standing there with his arms wrapped around Annie.

“I think so,” she didn’t move either.

Jeff allowed himself another moment, just standing there breathing in the smell of her hair.

“Lets go,” he sighed, separating from her slightly as he turned to open the door. He leaned out of it, looked in both directions - “all clear” - and stepped out. Annie followed him out as he started to walk briskly to the nearest exit. She noticed, but didn’t comment on, the fact that he was still holding her hand.

“What’s going on over there?” Jeff said as they left the building. There was what appeared to be a pitched battle going on over a patch of muddy ground.

“That’s the Richard M Nixon memorial flowerbed!” Annie gasped. “Tulips, Jeff!” She cried as she dropped his hand, passed him the clock and set off at a dead run towards the mob.

“But we’ve got Pierce- oh, yeah.” Jeff sighed as he jogged after her. He watched with bated breath as she dived to the ground as she reached the dogpile and proceeded to basically crawl her way between the sprawling bodies, disappearing into the crowd. He was about to dive in himself when he saw her emerge - hair a mess, covered in dirt, pantyhose torn to shreds, but a triumphant grin on her face as she clutched three tulips to her chest.

“ _Stop them!!”_ A voice yelled as she rejoined him. 

“Oh crap,” Jeff looked around to see who’d yelled - Todd, this time - and set off running, Annie hot on his heels. 

As he sprinted towards the library he fished out his phone. “Call Abed!” He yelled into it, noting with relief the voice recognition pick it up. 

_“Yes Jeff?”_

“We’re coming in hot! Make sure you’re ready!”

“ _Ten-four, Jeff.”_

Jeff didn’t have time to wonder what cultural reference Abed was citing this time, instead he looked behind him to make sure Annie was still with him - she was, but breathing hard. He put his phone away and grabbed her hand again, basically dragging her behind him as he thundered up the library steps, shoulder charged someone attempting to stop him out of the way and ran through the study room doors as they opened.

“Nice timing Abed,” he gasped as Troy slammed the doors shut and jammed a chair under the handles just as a couple of pursuers bounced off them.

“Oh you poor dear!” Shirley had noticed the mess Annie was in. “Come over here, I have some wet wipes…” she said as she hustled Annie over to the study room table.

“I’ll take that Jeff,” Abed was looming over Jeff where he’d collapsed onto the sofa to catch his breath. 

Jeff looked up at his friend - Abed had somehow got hold of a clean white shirt and a beret from somewhere - “Sure Jamie,” he said as he handed over the clock. He looked over at Troy, who was collecting the tulips from Annie as Shirley helped wipe the dirt off her, and somehow wasn’t in the slightest bit surprised to see he’d acquired a red wig from somewhere.

“Why is everyone out to get us?” Jeff asked the question that had been annoying him ever since Mike first spotted him.

The others exchange knowing glances. “Didn’t you hear, Jeff?” Britta exclaimed. “About five minutes after his initial announcement Leonard announced the dean had given us a head start and we were the team to beat.”

 _Five minutes later?_ Jeff thought. _That’s when we were - oh…_ Jeff made eye contact with Annie as he realised just what they’d been doing that had distracted them from hearing further announcements. As he saw Annie blush bright red, he realised she’d made the same connection. 

“Oh, good grief.” Shirley said as she spotted the looks the two of them were exchanging.

Fortunately Jeff was saved from another argument by his phone ringing. _Who’s this?_ He thought as he saw an unknown number requesting a video chat, then he shrugged slightly and accepted the call.

 _“You have five minutes to drop out of the scavenger hunt, Winger!”_ Vicki yelled through the screen.

“Or what?” Jeff said as he stood up to allow the others to gather around him.

“ _Or you don’t see your friend again until this is all over!_ ” Vicki turned the phone around to reveal Pierce gagged and tied to an armchair somewhere, a group of men in masks surrounding him.

“Seriously?” Jeff said. “You’re wearing masks? Neil - Todd - Garret - that’s obviously you!”

 _“No it isn’t!”_ Garrett squawked.

“ _Shut up Garrett!”_ Todd hissed.

“Vicki,” Jeff sighed. “Can you put Pierce on please?”

Vicki moved the phone until the older man’s gagged face was almost filling the screen.

“Pierce,” Jeff said as he stood to attention. “Your heroic sacrifice will be remembered forever in the annals of the study group. I salute you, my brother!” Jeff did literally that as Pierce started to frantically struggle against his bonds. There was a final, desperate cry of “ _Winger!”_ from Vicki as he swiped to break the connection.

“Right,” Jeff said. “How do we win this thing?”

XXXXXX

“This is ridiculous!” Jeff yelled.

“It’s our only option Jeff,” Abed said implacably. “We can’t take the time desk to the dean through the mobs-” Troy and Abed had attached the final items “-so we have to bring him here. If you can think of anything that’ll get him here faster than the chance of catching you shirtless, then we’re open to ideas.”

“Abed makes a good point, Jeff.” Annie added, a note of suppressed excitement in her voice.

 _You’re enjoying this far too much!_ Jeff thought. “I thought you’d be on my side at least, Annie.” He said accusingly. She just smiled at him, wide eyed.

“Okay, fine.” Jeff grumbled as he reached for the hem of his shirt.

“Oh my,” Shirley said.

“Uh hmm,” Annie squeaked in response.

“Why does a time machine need a dictionary and tulips anyway?” Jeff was trying to make conversation while he posed. 

Abed was taking pictures with his phone camera. “The dictionary is a coded logbook full of spacetime coordinates,” he said. “And the dean just likes tulips.” 

He stood up and looked at his phone. “Done.” He typed a few words and hit send. “Now we just have wait for him to -”

They heard a familiar voice in the distance. “ _DEANALINGALINGALING!”_

“Of course he's on his way, he has this place bugged.” Jeff sighed. 

“Make way, Make way!” the dean called as he swept through the gathering crowd outside, Agnes in his slipstream. There was a low, mutinous rumbling, but the crowd parted as he swept through the door.

“What on earth-” Jeff goggled at the sight - the dean was wearing a black, full length ballgown, shimmering with sequins and what looked like six-inch heels.

“He’s dressed as the Contessa, Dean Dangerous’s gender-flipped clone, enemy and occasional lover.” 

“Thank you Mr Nadir,” the dean smirked and bowed slightly to Abed before turning back to Jeff.

“I have to say I’m very impressed you managed to solve all my riddles so quickly,” he said. Even the ones I never got to read out,” he said, casting a sour glance at Agnes before turning back to look at Jeff. “Ooh, taut.” He said as he reached out a finger to touch Jeff’s abs.

“Wait a minute,” Jeff said. “The other twenty clues - they were _all_ about getting me shirtless?”

“Why do you think I didn’t let him read them?” Agnes said.

“Oh for-” Jeff cut himself off as he put his shirt back on. “At least tell us we won the prize - there are no other shirtless Wingers around here!”

The dean sniffed unhappily as Jeff put his shirt back on. “I suppose so,” he said. “Everybody come round to my office first thing tomorrow morning and we’ll sign the paperwork.”

There was another unhappy rumbling from outside as the news spread and the crowd slowly dispersed.

“That it’s everyone!” The dean yelled at the stragglers. “The challenge is over! Now shoo! Shoo!” he made a sweeping gesture with his hands.

XXXXXX

EPILOGUE

The crowds had dispersed, the custodians were out in force sweeping up the damage, and the study group were dismantling the “time desk” and returning the components.

“So,” Jeff said as he and Annie took the clock back to the gym. “About that kiss-”

“It’s okay Jeff,” Annie said, the soft smile on her lips abruptly vanishing. “I know the routine by now - it was a mistake, forget it happened, we work better as friends, yaddayaddayadda-”

“Actually,” he said. “I was going to say if this sort of thing is going to keep happening it’s probably best we talk about it.”

“Oh-” Annie said softly.

“But it’s complicated, so it’ll take a while.”

Annie just looked at him, a curious expression on her face.

“It’s probably best if we do something else while we’re talking,” he added. “Like eating dinner. We can’t have an important conversation on an empty stomach.” He smiled softly at her, she returned it.

“You’ll need to go home and get changed of course-” Annie was still wearing her ruined pantyhose and the rest of her clothes had stains Shirley’s wet wipes had been unable to remove “-Shall I pick you up at your place by seven?”

“It’s a deal Jeff.” Annie’s smile if anything had broadened. “I should have changed by then.”

“Good,” he said. And, as if it was the most casual thing in the world, he reached to take her hand in his. “Say, does anybody know where Vicki’s gang was keeping Pierce?”


End file.
